Barn cleaner and loading machine



Nov. 14, 1950 F. E. M CANN BARN CLEANER AND LOADING MACHINE Filed March11, 1946 4 Sheets-Shet 1 3L F16. I 7

FLOYD E. "$641M! Npv. 14, 1950 F. E. MOCANN 2,529,954

BARN CLEANER AND LOADING MACHINE Filed March 11, 1946 4 Sheets-Sheet 2FLOYD E. Mc0ANN Nov. 14, 1950 F. E. M CANN 2,529,954

BARN CLEANER AND LOADING MACHINE Filed March 11, 1946 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 1Inventor 29' 25 FLOYD E. McCAA/N Nov. 14 1950 F. E, MOCANN 2,529,954

BARN CLEANER AND LOADING MACHINE Filed March 11, 1946 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 iilmu IIII I E IIHIH iKQJIIHNIIIIIIIIIILllllllllllllIi 070 E. man/w I nl/eutor Patented Nov. 14, 1950 BARN CLEANER AND LOADING MACHINE Floyd E.McCann, Milwaukee, Wis., assignor of one-half to Erwin C. Noeldner,Loyal, Wis.

Application March 11, 1946, Serial No. 653,528

4 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in barn cleaners and loadingmachines for removing manure from barns and loading the same into asuitable vehicle or truck, as for example a tractor drawn manurespreader.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved apparatus whichwill be supported for movement upon an elevated trackway in a barn orstable, whereby manure from the stalls may be collected in a troughformed in the stable fioor, and a suitable elevator operable inconjunction with said apparatus will collect and lift the manure fromsaid trough to deposit the same on a lateral conveyor, where it will bedischarged into a manure spreader.

Another object of the invention is to provide a motor drivenself-propelled manure collecting and loading apparatus for barns orstables, which will be supported upon an elevated toothed trackway forlongitudinal movement within the barn or stable, and which will includea combined brake and clutch mechanism for controlling the operation ofsaid apparatus.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved manurecleaning and loading apparatus for barns and stables, which will includean elevated track supported mechanism having a driving motor with gearreduction for operating a loading elevator and conveyor, and also formoving the apparatus along said elevated track.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved manurecleaning and loading apparatus for barns and stables, which will behighly efficient in operation, and relatively inexpensive to manufactureand produce.

Other objects will appear as the description proceeds.

In the accompanying drawings which form a part of this application,

Figure 1 is a plan view, partly in section of a barn with the improvedmanure cleaning and loading apparatus positioned therein;

Figure 2 is a side elevation, partly broken away showing the improvedmanure cleaning and loading apparatus.

Figure 3 is an end View of the improved manure cleaning and loadingapparatus;

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 3;

Figure 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 3;

Figure 7 is a plan view, partly in section of the combined brake andclutch mechanism shown in Figure 6, and

Figure 8 is a perspective view of the slotted brake and clutch operatingshaft.

Like characters of reference are used throughout the followingspecification and the accompanying drawings to designate correspondingparts.

In carrying out the invention, there is provided a barn or stable Ihaving stalls 2 arranged along its opposite sides, and a central orlongitudinally extending runway 3. A door opening 4 is provided for thebarn or stable I and longitudinally clean-out troughs 5 and 6 areprovided at the opposite sides of the runway 3' adjacent the stalls 2.

Overhead tracks 1 and 8 are supported directly over the troughs 5 and 6,and are formed with the oppositely extending rails 9 and Ill, and thecentral web portions l I which are shaped at their lower ends into thetoothed racks l2.

The trolley housing includes the oppositely disposed plates I 3 and M,which are formed with integral depending side plates l5 and I6 havingsuitable bearings, which support th cross-shaft I! for the manureelevating or loading conveyor later to be described.

Upwardly and outwardly extending bearing ears [8 and I9 support stubshafts or aXles 2| carrying trolley Wheels 20 which are adapted to rollon the 1aterally extending side rails 9 and ID of the overhead track.

The manure loading conveyor includes the cross-shaft I! before mentionedwhich extends between the lower ends of the side plates I5 and I6, andan extensible conveyor casing or housing comprising a head or upperportion 20 and downwardly extending top and bottom portions 2| and 22,respectively, said top and bottom portions being secured to said headportions by means of the bolts 23, and said top and bottom portions 2|and 22 being adjustably secured together and to the conveyor frame bymeans of the bolts 24. A shoe 25 is formed on the lower end of theconveyor casing and is adapted to be operable within the troughs 5 and 6as the conveyor and loading mechanism is operated along the overheadtracks. A shaft 26 is mountedin the bearings 26' between the sides ofthe conveyor casing adjacent its lower end, and supports the sprocket 21at opposite ends. Sprockets (not shown) are secured to the opposite endsof the shaft I l, and chains 29 and 30 are connected between thesprocket 2'! and the first mentioned sprocket on the shaft I l, andcarried spaced blades or plates 29' secured at spaced intervals to saidchains, to engage and carry the manure up the conveyor, where it isdischarged on a laterally extending endless belt conveyor 31, to bedischarged into a manure spreader 3| pulled by the tractor 32, andlocated in the runway 3.

The casing 33 for the endless belt conveyor 31 is supported by the headportion 23' of the loading conveyor. Shafts 34 and 35 are arrangedacross the casing 33 at its opposite ends, and sup port the rollers 36upon which the endless belt 31 is mounted. A pulley 38 is secured to theend of the lower shaft 35 and is connected by means of the belt 39 to apulley 40 mounted on the end of the shaft l1, and is driven thereby. Apivoted discharge chute 4| is secured to the shaft 35, and extends belowthe end of the conveyor casing 33. An electric motor 42 and reductiongearing 43 is mounted upon a plate 44 attached to the'plate IS. A pulley45 is secured to the motor shaft 46, and said motor may becontrolledfrom below,.if desired. A driving or operating shaft 6;! is mountedbetween the depending side plates l and H5, and between the u-shapedframe 5| formed integrally with the trolley housing and extendingforwardly thereof at'a slight angle, and below the same. A driving gear58 is secured by the pins 49 to the shaft 41, and bearing rollers 59 aremounted at either side'of said gear 48 to contact the under surfaces of'the side rails 9 and I0, said gear and rollers being located betweenthe sides of the U.-frame 5|.

A combined clutch and brake mechanism is supported upon the shaft 41,and includes a clutch plate 52 on the said shaft 47!, and thecooperating clutch housing 53, said housing forming an end of the cableholding spool or drum 54, also mounted upon the shaft 41. An ear 55 isformed on the upper casing portion 2! of the loading conveyor and has acable 56 attached thereto. The cable 56 extends over a pulley 51 on thetrolley housing and forwardly thereof to be wound on said cable drum orspool 54.

A clutch and brake operating arm 58 is supand is formed'with theparallel extending arms 64 between which the brake release member 65 ispositioned. The brake release member 65 is mounted for rotation betweenthe U-frame 5| and the depending side plate 56, and is apertured at 66,and formed with the slotted upwardly extending arm 61. A laterallyextending pin 68 mounted on the arm 58 will be extended through the slotin the arm 6'! and held therein by the cotter pin 69. A rod H3 threadedat its opposite ends will extend through the aperture 66 in the brakerelease arm 55 and through the parallel arm 66, and supports thetensioning coil springs 1! and l2,which are adjustably tensioned bymeans ofthe nuts 13 and M on the opposite ends of'thesaid rod 76. Anoperating cable may be secured in the aperture E6 in the outer end ofthe arm 58 for simultaneously releasing the brake and operatingthe'clutch when the cable 56 is to be wound upon the drum or spool'54,to elevate the loading conveyor.

A sprocket" is secured to the shaft 41, and supports'the drive chain 18which also extends over the sprocket 19 on the end of the shaft IT tooperate the loading conveyor.

;A -pulley'89 is secured to the outer end of the shaft 47 and isconnected by the drive belt 8| to the pulley 45 on the ends of the motorshaft 46 for providing the driving power for operating the severalmechanisms.

The spaced side plates 82 and 83 are pivotally supported on the shaft 4?at either side of the driving gear 48, and extend downwardly to form ahandle 84. A locking dog 85 is pivoted at 86 to the handle 84, and abell crank lever 81 is also pivoted to the handle 8d, and a connectinglink 88 is secured between the dog and the bell 'crank lever 81, wherebwhen the handle is grasped to operate the bell crank lever, the dog willbe disengaged from its keeper or slot 89 in the U-frame 5|, and thedriven gear 90 supported between the plates 82 and 83 on the shaft 9|will be disengaged from the toothed rack I2, to permit the trolleymechanism to be slid backwards and forwards upon the side rails 9 andI0.

It will be understood that the trolley mechanism supporting the'loadingconveyor and'the endless conveyor may be positioned upon either one ofthe overhead tracks i or 6, to clean out the troughs 5 and 6, and thatthe mechanism may be slid backwardly and forwardly upon the saidoverhead rails, and that the loading conveyor maybe elevated ordepressed at the will of the operator.

In operation and assuming that the conveyor unit and the lever 84 is inthe position shown in' Figure 2, the motor 42 drives the pulley 88 onshaft 4'! and by means of sprockets TI and 19 and chain E8 the shaft ll.Shaft I7 drives the longitudinally arranged inclined elevating co nveyorby means of the sprockets 21 and of the chains 29, 30; Thereby thescooping plates 29 seize the manure or other material which has beencollected by the shoe and convey it upwardly.

Shaft ll also drives pullley M) which in its turn by means of belt 36drives pulley 38, shaft 35 and conveyor 37. The material collected bythe scooping plates 29 therefore travels upwardly as the plates fit intothe casing and is dumped on conveyor 31 and is moved transverselyby'said conveyor, reaches the chute 45 which is suitably adjusted fordischarge, and is discharged into spreader wagon 3|.

When shaft 41 is driven, as above described, toothed wheel 48 is moved,which meshes with cog wheel 98 which in its turn meshes with the rackl2. Therefore the conveyor unit during this operation is automaticallymoved along the rail with the shoe moving in the trough and collectingmanure or other material during such movement.

Should the operator want to start cleaning at any place, he seizeshandle 84, depresses lever B? and moves the cog wheel'out of gear. Hecan then move the unit to any place without being forced to run theconveyor slowly to this place.

When the operator wants to stop cleaning operation and to suspend theelevator so as to free the space from obstruction he pulls'the cable 15while the motor is running. Normally as will be clear the winding drumwhich is freely rotatable on the shaft 4-! does not participate in therotation and is held because the brake 62 is permanently applied by thesprings l 72. 'However when the operator pulls cable 15, the lever 58 isrotated and by virtue of the shoulders 60 running over the cam surfaces6| upon such displacement, the coupling disk 52 is shifted and theWinding drum is coupled withthe shaft 41; Simultaneously the brake isreleased, asrelease lever 58 by means of pin 68 sliding in slotted arm6! turns release member 65 forcing the arms 64 apart. The winding drumtherefore starts to wind the cable 56 and the conveyor unit is therebylifted and is now suspended at both ends.

The unit may then be removed altogether, if desired from one track andplaced on another track, by using transverse shifting means (not shown)which may be provided in the barn.

While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated anddescribed, it will be understood that it is not intended to limit thescope of the invention thereto, as many minor changes in detail ofconstruction may be resorted thereto without departure from the spiritof the invention.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the U. S. is:

1. In a device for collecting manure and other waste material from amanure collecting trough in the ground, an overhead track arranged aboveand running along said trough, a trolley frame supported on said trackfor longitudinal movement along the same, a conveyor unit comprising aplurality of conveyors supported by said trolley frame, one of saidconveyors being an elevating conveyor, provided with a collecting headadapted to enter into and to slide within said trough and with means forseizing the material entering said collecting head and for carrying itupwardly, a further transversely arranged conveyor located adjacent thefirst named conveyor near the upper end thereof, for substantiallytransversely directed transport, a chute for discharging the material atthe end of the last named conveyor, means for driving each of saidconveyors, engageable means on said trolley frame and on said track formoving said conveyor carrying trolley frame along said track, a controlshaft, hand controlled means mounted on said shaft for engaging anddisengaging the aforesaid engageable means on said trolley frame andsaid track and further means mounted on said shaft for raising andlowering said elevating conveyor, said means including a hoisting meansand a hand operated clutch mechanism and brake mechanism for connectingsaid hoisting means with the driving means.

2. In a device for collecting manure and other waste material from amanure collecting trough in the ground, an overhead track arranged aboveand running along said trough, a trolley frame supported on said trackfor longitudinal movement along the same, a conveyor unit comprising aplurality of conveyors supported by said trolley frame, one of saidconveyors being an elevating conveyor, provided with a collecting headadapted to enter into and to slide within said trough and with means forseizing the material entering said collecting head and for carrying itupwardly, a further transversely arranged conveyor located adjacent thefirst named conveyor near the upper end thereof, for substantiallytransversely directed transport, a chute for discharging the material atthe end of the last named conveyor, means for driving each of saidconveyors, disconnectable means for advancing the conveyor carryingtrolley frame along the overhead tracks, said means including a rack onthe overhead track, a cogwheel and a driving wheel, the latter inoperative connection with the conveyor driving means, and a frame forthe cogwheel pivotally suspended for rotation around the axis of thedriving Wheel, a hand lever for moving said cogwheel into and out ofengagement with the said rack and means for raising and lowering saidelevating conveyor.

3. In a device for collecting manure and other waste material from amanure collecting trough in the ground, an overhead track arranged aboveand running along said trough, a trolley frame supported on said trackfor longitudinal movement along the same, a transversely directed shafton said conveyor frame, a conveyor unit suspended on said shaft forpivotal movement around the same, said unit consisting of an inclinedconveyor, substantially extending and moving in parallelism to thelongitudinal plane of the track and provided with a collecting head,adapted to move within said trough, a casing for the same, and atransversely extending conveyor arranged below the upper end of theinclined conveyor, a casing for the same, attached to the casing of thefirst named conveyor, a chute for the discharge of material from thetransverse conveyor, means for driving said conveyors, connected withthe transversely directed shaft on the trolley frame, a hoistingmechanism for the conveyor unit, including a cable attached to said unitand a freely rotatable cable winding drum on said transversely directedshaft, and a brake and clutch mechanism connected with said winding drumand provided with hand operated means for operating said clutch andbrake mechanism.

4. A device of the character specified and claimed in claim 3, whereinthe clutch and brake mechanism on the transversely directed shaftcomprises, an axially fixed but rotatable coupling member, provided witha brake cylinder fixedly connected with the cable winding drum, arotatable axially di'splaceable member, a spring operated brake bandpermanently applied against the braking cylinder, a brake release memberand a hand operated release arm rotatable on said transversely directedshaft provided with shoulders for axially displacing the samesimultaneously operating the release member and the axially displaceablemember of the coupling.

FLOYD E. MCCANN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 681,575 Packer Aug. 27, 19011,116,096 Miller Nov. 3, 1914 1,230,236 Stuart June 19, 1917 1,461,800Lewis July 17, 1923 1,529,584 Fox Mar. 10, 1925 1,804,287 Spry May 5,1931 2,147,027 Grier Feb. 14, 1939 2,173,177 Menk Sept. 19, 1939

